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Get Ready with ANCC's Readiness Tests

Ease testing anxiety and assess your readiness with the pretest that's like the real test.

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Benefits

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Experience a simulated testing environment that is timed and live proctored

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Increase comfort with Prometric’s proctoring exam before taking the certification exam

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Includes questions developed for the ANCC certification exams

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Receive scoring feedback to gauge your strengths and gaps and guide your studying efforts

Taking a certification exam can be a stressful experience. The Readiness Test can help you feel more comfortable and confident before you take the certification exam. Each question on the test has been validated and reviewed by a panel of content experts certified in the advanced practice or specialty nursing area to ensure relevancy and accuracy.

Each Readiness Test testing session is priced at $85 and allows examinees 75 minutes to answer 60 questions in the domain content categories of the Test Content Outline. Please consult the appropriate Test Content Outline to review the content categories: https://www.nursingworld.org/our-certifications/.

Schedule Your Readiness Test

Our Readiness Tests

Advanced Practice

  • Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner
  • Adult-Gerontology Clinical Nurse Specialist
  • Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner
  • Family Nurse Practitioner
  • Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner

Specialty Nursing

  • Ambulatory Care Nursing
  • Cardiac-Vascular Nursing
  • Medical-Surgical Nursing
  • Nurse Executive
  • Nurse Executive, Advanced
  • Nursing Professional Development
  • Psychiatric-Mental Health Nursing

Readiness Test Updates

2024 Test Suspension Periods

Readiness Test Test Suspension Period
Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner April 17 - 24, 2024
Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner May 8 - 16, 2024
Family Nurse Practitioner 
May 16 - 30, 2024
Medical-Surgical Nursing June 19 - July 4, 2024
Psychiatric-Mental Health Nursing July 5 - 15, 2024
  •  There will be test suspension periods for the Readiness Tests listed above to allow the exam forms to be updated. You may schedule a Readiness Test before or after the provided dates.
  •  Please contact anccreadinesstest@ana.org if you have questions about the test suspension periods.

How It Works

Step 1: Review Test Specifications

 

STEP 2: Schedule Your Readiness Test

All ANCC Readiness Tests are computer-based and offered through the Prometric™ testing system. Prometric is an international network of testing centers.

Testing Options

  • Test at a Prometric Testing Center
    • Find the Prometric Test Center location closest to you here
  • Test via Live Remote Proctoring (LRP)*

Important Update: Effective immediately, Live Remote Proctoring (LRP) is no longer offered as a scheduling option for ANCC certification exams. Candidates may take the Readiness Test via LRP or at a Prometric testing center but must take the certification exam at a Prometric testing center. All Prometric testing centers are now operating at pre-pandemic capacity. Please choose the testing environment for the Readiness Test that best fits your needs. It is recommended to schedule the Readiness Test at a testing center if you want to familiarize yourself with the testing center's location, check-in procedures, and policies before taking the ANCC certification exam.

How to Schedule Your Test

  • You may self-schedule your Readiness Test online or via phone with the Prometric Registration and Scheduling line at 1.800.688.5805.
  • To reschedule or cancel your test date or time, you must do so by the second calendar day prior to your appointment. Rescheduling and canceling appointments can be accomplished online at the Prometric Test Center website or by calling Prometric's Call Center at 1.800.350.7076.
  • The Readiness Test must be scheduled one day in advance of the desired testing date (same-day testing appointments are not available).

Fall 2022 Presentation ANCC Readiness Tests Webinar

Schedule Your Readiness Test



Step 3: Taking the Test

Live Remote Proctoring (LRP)

  • View the ProProctor user guide here before scheduling your exam. Ensure that your home or office setting meets the environmental requirements and prepare for the check-in procedures.
  • Conduct a system readiness check here before scheduling your exam. Ensure that your computer meets the system requirements needed to launch ProProctor.

Prometric Testing Center

After you take the test, you will receive a detailed score report an hour later via email. The score report will include your performance percent score, minimum percent passing score, and the number of questions answered correctly in each content domain. View your score report here.

What People Are Saying

Readiness Test Voucher Program

ANCC, in collaboration with Prometric, offers nursing programs and organizations the option to purchase bulk orders of Readiness Test vouchers for their students or employees. Individual nursing students or nurses redeem the voucher code when scheduling a Readiness Test.

Tiered Pricing:

Min. Quantity Max. Quantity Price
1 10 $85
11 20 $80
21 99 $75
100 - $70


NOTE: This program is being piloted as a resource for nursing programs and healthcare organizations to support their students and employees in preparing for certification. Please contact the ANCC Readiness Test Team at anccreadinesstest@ana.org for questions and to register.

DISCLAIMER FOR ANCC READINESS TESTS
The ANCC Readiness Test is not a requirement to prepare or qualify for the certification exam and does not in any way guarantee a passing score on the Certification examination. Use of the resource is intended only to assist in preparation for the Certification exam. While the diagnostic report contains information that will assist in the assessment of your strengths and weaknesses as you prepare for the certification exam, you should not interpret your performance on the Readiness Test as an exact prediction of your certification exam performance.
Please be advised that ANCC staff cannot access the Readiness Tests or provide answers to the questions on them. The delivery mechanism for the Readiness Test is independent of ANCC. Therefore, ANCC staff cannot respond to technical difficulties that may arise during the administration of an exam. Be sure to read the Test Description and Instructions on the Prometric Readiness Test site carefully at the beginning of the session. For any technical problems associated with taking the Readiness Test, use this link: https://ehelp.prometric.com/proproctor.

Frequently Asked Questions

General Information

Q: Whom should I contact with questions about ANCC's Readiness Tests?
A: Email anccreadinesstest@ana.org

Q: Who can take the Readiness Test?
A: Anyone who is considering applying for a certification, planning to retest for a certification, or wanting the experience of taking a test administered by Prometric.

Q: Are there any requirements to schedule a Readiness Test?
A: There are no eligibility requirements to take a Readiness Test.

Q: What COVID-19 safety measures are in place at the Prometric testing centers?
A: Prometric will no longer require candidates or test center personnel to wear masks. For more details on COVID-19 precautions at testing centers, please visit this link: https://www.prometric.com/covid-19-update/covid-19-update.

Q: What payment methods are accepted when scheduling a Readiness Test?
A: Prometric accepts all major credit cards.

Q: What is the difference between the ANCC Readiness Tests and Certification Preparation?
A: The ANCC Readiness Tests include questions previously used on ANCC’s certification exams. The tests are administered in the same timed, live-proctored testing environment as the actual certification exam, and upon completion, test takers receive valuable, diagnostic performance feedback.

Q: Does the Readiness Test have to be completed in one sitting?
A: Yes, the Readiness Test must be completed in one sitting. The test is administered in a timed, live-proctored environment.

Q: Can I request special testing accommodations?
A: Accommodations can only be requested when applying for your certification exam. Readiness test takers should select ‘No’ to the testing accommodations question when scheduling with Prometric. If you have any questions, please contact anccreadinesstest@ana.org.

Q: If I purchase the Readiness Test more than once, will it have the same questions each time?
A: Yes, the questions will be the same.

Q: How many times can I take a Readiness Test?
A: You can repurchase and take a Readiness Test as many times as needed.

Scheduling and Test Administration

Q: How do I reschedule or cancel my Readiness Test?
A: If you wish to change your test date or time, you must do so by the second calendar day prior to your appointment. Rescheduling and canceling appointments can be accomplished via the Web site (www.prometric.com/anccr), available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week or by calling Prometric's Call Center at 1- 800-350-7076.

IMPORTANT NOTE: There is no fee to reschedule or cancel an appointment if the change is made more than 15 days prior to your appointment. If you reschedule or cancel 8 – 14 days prior to your appointment, you will be charged a $20 fee. If you reschedule or cancel 2-7 days prior to your appointment, you will be charged a $25 fee. If an appointment is cancelled in less than 2 calendar days of your appointment, you will forfeit your entire fee.

Q: How do I find the Prometric Test Center location closest to me?
A: Please visit www.prometric.com/anccr and select "Locate."

Q: I have not been able to find available appointments at a Prometric testing site. What can I do?
A: We recommend that you continue to check for testing center availability via https://www.prometric.com/anccr. It is possible that you may need to travel farther than usual to the closest available test center.

Q: Can ANCC help me with scheduling my Readiness Test?
A: ANCC staff are unable to assist with scheduling your Readiness Test. Please visit https://www.prometric.com/anccr to schedule your exam. If you are unable to schedule via the link above, you may call the Prometric Registration and Scheduling line at 1.800.688.5805.

Q: I cannot reach anyone at Prometric for assistance. What can I do?
A: You may send an email to candidatecare@prometric.com. You may also call the Prometric Candidate Care line at 1.800.853.6769. Responses may be delayed as Prometric has received a higher than usual number of inquiries.

Q: I was able to schedule my Readiness Test at a Prometric testing center. How can I switch my appointment to a Live Remote Proctoring appointment?
A: You will need to cancel your existing appointment at the testing center and then schedule a different appointment for a LRP session.

Q: What should I do if I purchased the wrong Readiness Test?
A: Please contact Prometric's Call Center at 1- 800-350-7076.

Q: What are the system requirements for Live Remote Proctoring (LRP)?
A: Please review Prometric’s Welcome to ProProctor Guide for important information about Live Remote Proctoring at https://www.prometric.com/sites/default/files/2020-04/PrometricProUserGuide_3.1_1.pdf, which includes the specific system requirements necessary for using the Live Remote Proctoring (LRP) function. To conduct a system readiness check, please see this link: https://rpcandidate.prometric.com/.

For more information to assist you in choosing whether to test at a Prometric Testing Center or via Live Remote Proctoring, please visit this link: Considerations for Choosing a Testing Option.

Q: What should I do if I experience technical difficulties?
A: If you need any technical assistance with launching your test, CLICK HERE to engage with a representative from Prometric’s Global Help Desk.

Q: Will I be able to take notes during my Live Remote Proctoring (LRP) session?
A: Prometric offers a Scratchpad, which will open as a floating window for test takers to capture digital notes during their Readiness Test. Any notes that the test taker includes on the Scratchpad will be retained during the entire duration of the test and will be purged at the conclusion of the test. This scratchpad will replace the opportunity for candidates to have blank pieces of scratch paper to use, during the test.

Test Results

Q: When will I receive my score report for the Readiness Test?
A: Your score report will be sent within an hour to the email address you used when scheduling your appointment. Click here to view your score report.

Q: How is the Readiness Test scored?
A: The score report for the Readiness Test provides the percentage of questions answered correctly from the total number of questions (percent score). The percentage score determines whether a test taker has passed the Readiness Test.

In addition, the score report will provide the number of questions answered correctly in each domain as well as the total number of questions in that domain.

While the score report contains information that will assist in the assessment of the test taker’s strengths and weaknesses in preparation for the Certification exam, the performance on the Readiness Test is not an exact prediction of performance on the Certification exam.

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